Both of my children love to draw, color, and paint. But I have to hide the art supplies because I’ve walked into the kitchen and found marker all over each and every one of my (white) cabinets. (Washable is a marketing ploy, I swear!) Or I have walked into their bedroom and found drawings on walls, doors, beds, and miscellaneous toys. It’s not that they lack paper to draw on–they just see everything as their canvas.
I have tried many different methods of cleaning artwork off of walls. Each writing utensil seems to require a different solution. I’m going to share with you three quick tips for cleaning these works of art off the wall.
Pencil
Solution: Toothpaste
- Any type of toothpaste should work, although I have not tried fluoride-free ones to do this.
- Rub toothpaste over the mark and let sit for several minutes.
- Wipe off with a damp cloth. Repeat if necessary
Crayon
Solution: Hair Dryer
- It’s not necessary to put the dryer on high heat, although low heat may take longer.
- Direct the flow of hot air directly over the crayon mark.
- Wipe off with a cloth. Repeat if necessary
Marker
Solution: Rubbing Alcohol
- Depending on the type of marker, this may take several tries for all or most of it to come off.
- Blot the marker stain with rubbing alcohol on a cloth.
- Wipe with a clean cloth. Repeat as many times as is required to remove the majority of marker.
Luckily, you should have most of these supplies already in your home. They are easy ways to get a little peace of mind. So don’t panic the next your little Monet draws a map on the living room wall!